Archers thread #187: Send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for Peggy. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. We don't all agree on all points, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that you'd like Harrison to hasten home, or other unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please! We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-join-us-here, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, @DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have - BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Thanks to John Donne for the title inspiration. The funeral of the century beckons. How much of it do we think we will hear? Kate confirmed tonight that Shula, Debbie, Noli and Sipho are all coming. If we hear one peep from any of them I'll be amazed. Bets on Hazel turning up?

Over to you!

A little of Kate goes a very long way.

If Borchester is 5 (or was it 4) miles from Ambridge, driving to and from the supermarket on the bypass would take ca 20 minutes longer than going to the village shop, cost less, and guarantee having everything that was needed.

no sense at all

Makes as much sense as the rest of the stuff going on!!

I’ve forgotten, did they ever go anywhere with the hinted storyline about Justin and Stella knowing each other before she moved to Ambridge?

What was it that Jolene said to Joy right at the end of today's episode? To me it sounded like "You ae a tyrant", which can't be right.

They're setting Joy up as the new Matriarch of Ambridge, aren't they?

Are we actually supposed to like Joy? And are we supposed to believe that everyone in Ambridge does as well and they all want to be her friend? Why, why, why?
She's boring, irritating, hideous voice, extremely nosy, no depth( because they parachuted her in with no backstory or connection to anyone in ambridge) , no intelligence, just spouts clichés and platitudes and doesn't seem like fun to be with.

Back to the everyday story of Joy! FGS!.
If I knew Kate I would give her a wide berth. She is a nightmare.
Jim dosnt like change nor do I, but you have to give customers what they want. Our garage is always busy it sells loads of stuff apart from petrol. It is only a couple of steps away from me too so really handy( except it's too handy for chocolate and biscuits if you get my drift),
I kept thinking Fallon was going to walk in and say she and Harrison are finished pass me pinny.🤣

'You are a diamond'

She has a Level 2 Hygiene Certificate, folks. I expect she'll casually let drop that she forgot to mention her Diplôme de Pâtisserie from the Cordon Bleu School, plus that little old gold medal she picked up at the Coupe du Monde for her life-size choux pastry swan sitting on a nest of spun sugar.

A few pies for the Bull? Easy peasy lemon squeezy for wonderwoman Joy 🙄

She knocked up a Sachertorte for Helen a couple of years ago so we know she can cook but suddenly she has a history of working in a professional kitchen. It’s just laughable.

I mean, I've got a Level 2 Hygiene certificate and I’d happily make a Sachertorte but I’d run at speed from volunteering to help out with catering in a supposedly-frantically-busy country pub. Is it 'just' the cricket tea she’s offering to step in for? Doubtless it will be THE BEST CRICKET TEA EVAH if so.

In future episodes, Joy:

• hunts down Neil the Foundling's mother;
• delivers Phoebe's baby;
• donates a kidney;
• builds a small nuclear reactor at Beechwood;
• wins a Nobel prize; and
• inherits all Peggy's money.

But she needs to escape from Pip, and Adam needs to return to managing Home Farm, so …

But @TottersBlanklyIntoThePhysicGarden if BL scuppers the home farm contracts, Adam won't have anything to manage. So he can stay at Bridge farm, Stella can escape Pip and Brian can retire.

When i heard Joy's voice i actually shouted at my radio. And BAM! there she is saving the day for effing everyone. It is infuriating. Grrr

And poor Jakob. He is so lovely, and Kate is so awful.

I am starting to feel trolled by the SWs. I don’t particularly mind the character but the lack of depth, constantly saving the day and general Joy-a-thon for no reason is rage bait at the stage

No. I now think we will never know and that could have been quite interesting as it was obviously hush hush.

Oh, I dunno … Adam is good at thinking up new schemes. I’m sure he could find a way forward for Home Farm.

(And I’m honestly puzzled as to what the SWS intend for him if not a prodigal return to Home Farm. If he doesn’t do that he’s effectively written out of the Archer / Aldridge aristocracy; left to grub around on Other People’s Farms forever. What would be the point of that?)

It was almost comedic wasn't it? Whatever the emergency, Joy seems to posses the expertise required - food hygiene certificate, shop work experience (have forgotten the details, but she has alluded to it), psychiatric expertise when dealing with Ben's episode - I'm surprised she hasn't jumped in to help Emma and Ed with a bit of tree surgery or to step in as a locum when Azra's tied up. "It's no trouble at all. I used to be a trauma surgeon before I had Rochelle - I can still remember everything and I've kept my qualifications up to date."

If we collectively ignore joy do you think she will go away?

there’s so many interesting stories that have been left to die

There is one thing she fails at - being funny.

That will be just one episode, surely?

We need the laugh emoji back 😂😂😂

I've got vague recollections of a conversation where Justin said he'd put her there to report back to him and generally do his bidding and she said no, she was just going to do the job to the best of her ability. I thought that was intended to be the end of that SL.

There was a clandestine lunch which I thought meant more. If that's all it was then it was a wasted opportunity. We still don't know how they knew each other before.

Has anyone mentioned the revelation that Joy is Peggy's illegitimate daughter?

And is now in receipt of all Peggy's fortune.